Accused former Beecher superintendent found dead a day after court appearance

A retired superintendent was found dead one day after appearing in a Cook County court on a felony theft charge for allegedly stealing nearly $10,000 from a south suburban school district's charitable foundation.

Raymond LaPorte, 74, was pronounced dead at about 12:15 p.m. Friday after an investigative team was sent to his his home in the 2600 block of James Drive in Dyer, Ind., according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.

The cause of death is pending an autopsy, according to the coroner's office.

LaPorte, who led Beecher School District 200-U for 10 years until his retirement in 2003, took the money from the bank account of the foundation he helped run for Calumet City's Hoover-Schrum Memorial School District 157, according to Cook County prosecutors.

LaPorte was released on his own recognizance after appeared at a bond hearing Thursday in the Markham courthouse.

The thefts took place from July 2016 to June 2017 while LaPorte was serving as the foundation's treasurer, prosecutors said. LaPorte left the district in June.

An audit conducted after the foundation president noticed abnormal payments found that LaPorte made out 34 cash withdrawal slips for a foundation bank account, prosecutors said.

The foundation raises money for classroom expenses and covers the cost of field trips for low-income students. Fundraising efforts were halted pending an outcome to the case.